Improvement in breech-loading- ordnance



F. POTTER.

Breech-Loading Ordnance.

No. 103,078. Patented May 17, 1870.

NFETERS. PHOTO-LITHDGRAFNER. WASHINGTON. D. C

iiniieil saw ABIATHER FALES POTTER, OF SAN FRANOISGO, CALIFORNIA.

Letters Patent No, 103,078, dated May 17, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN BREEC'H-LOADING- ORDNANCE.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the'same.

To all whom it may concern:

'Be it known that I, ABIATHER FALES POTTER, of San Francisco city and county, and State of California, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Breech-loading Artillery; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof.

The-nature or essence of my invention consists in a certain combination and arrangement, (fully described below,) of cams and keys operated by a central pin, for securing a breech-core in a gun.

I construct my gun in three general parts.

The barrel A, the breech-core, as I have named it, B, and what I call the key-pin O, which, when put together, all conceuter around a common longitudinal axis. Y 1

The barrel A is open through its entire length, and, for a distance equal to the length of tlie breech-core B, its bore is slightly flaring outward.

Around the inside of the barrel A, and near its breech end, are cut grooves, channels, or slots, d, very nearly or quite at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the barrel A.

These slots, grooves, or channels (I, are intended to receives keys, 7, whichfasten the breech-core B in its place.

The breech-core B is,-in its general outline, a hollow truncated cone, of an external caliper measure and length to fit closely into the barrel of the gun at its breech or rear end.

In the outer surface of the breech-core, and at right angles to its longitudinal axis, are cuteccentric channels or grooves, e e, in which play the keys j which fasten the breech-core in position.

These grooves or channels 0, communicate with the open center of the breech-core B. They are so placed in the breech-core as to correspond accurately, when the breech-core is in place, with the channels or grooves 01 in the barrel of thegun.

In the channels careplaced eccentric keys f of an,

irregular concave-convex shape, of such shape and.

size that, when set down home in their places in the breech-core, their outward or convex surface will be flush or nearly flush with the exterior surface of the breech core, so that the breech-core may be ta'-' ken out of, or put into its place in the barrel freely.

These keys f play easily in the groovesor channels, e, both in the direction of their own length, and in and out, from and toward the center of the breech-core. They are carried by, a rolling joint on teeth or cams g, set on the outside of the key-pin O, and in such a way that when carried to one side by these teeth or cams g, they (the keys) lie flush with the surface of the breech-core, so that it may be removed from, or put into the barrel A freely, and,

wheucarried to the other side by a contrary revo lution of the key-pin, they are forced eccentrically outward and partly into the grooves d in the barrel 'A, thereby locking the breech-core firmly into its place.

The end of the breech-core is faced with a circular elastic packing,.]t, and a steel face-ring outside of the packing, which take a part of the shock of the.

discharge of the gun, and also, by the elasticity of the packing, cover the intersticesbetween theface of the breech-core and the inside of the barrel.

The key-pin O is also, in its general outline, a

.trnucated cone, fitting accurately into the inside of the breech-core, and bearing on its outside the teeth or cams g, which play through openings in the breechcore B, and carry the eccentric keys f. It carries a ring of steam-tight packing near its front end. It also has a lever-handle or a wheel in on its rear end, by which it may be turned on its longitudinal axis to lock, or open the breech of the gun.

The vent-hole or touch-hole of the gun t 11, passes along the longitudinal axis of this key-pin G. into the forward end of the'key-pin O is screwed ahollow' tube or needle, h, with a cutting-point, which I tube acts, first, as a pricker to prick the cartridge, and

secondly, with its hollow interior, which is a continuation of the vent-hole through the key-pin, to carry fire to the front, the middle, or the rear part of the charge of powder, according .as this pricking and firiug-tube his longer or shorter; for, as the tube It is detachable, alonger or shorter one may be applied, as required The teeth or cams g\ are made larger, at their tips than at their bases, and the chambers in the keys 1' in which the teeth play are made smaller at their months on the surface of the-keys than inside, whereby the teeth 9 hold the keys f in their places, and prevent their falliug out. The teeth g pass into their places in the. keys through longitudinal grooves or channels in the inner surface of the breech-core B,

- which are then filled with a plug, if desirable, and the key-pin is held in its place by a spring, a catch, or screw at 0, acting either directly against the key-pin, or upon the plug which closes and fills the channels through which the teeth or cams g passto th'eir position when putting the breech-corev and'key-pin to, gether.

The breech-core is guided into its proper position in the barrel, and the key-pin into its proper position in the-breech-core, by a guiding-tooth or cam .1), running into a groove or socket, r.

The breech-core is locked into position bythrowing the lever m to the right or left, as the case may be, whereby the keys f are carried, by the motion of the cams g, partly out of the channels e-and intothe retracts the keys f into the breech-(Sore by thereversed.

groovesd, thus keying the breech-core into its place, when the gun is to be closed or fired; it is released,- so rangement of the siots 0r recesses d and e, the keys that the gun may be opened for leading or cleaning, f, and the cams or projections g, substantially as and by reversing the motion of the same iever 'm, which 'forthe purposes set forth; v

' ABIATHEB FALES POTTER. action of the cams g. Witnesses:

What I claim asmy invention, and desire to secure SAMLTJ. CUTTER, J r., by Letters Patent, is- D.'H. WHITTEMORE.

In comhinetion withthe cere A, and pin, 0, the ar- 

